Monmouth College students Bronte de Zwart, Lizzy Durfee and Gianna Maughan have a lot to smile about, as they're enjoying the exciting opportunity to work on what physics professor Chris Fasano called "a world-class experiment at a world-class laboratory"
MONMOUTH, ILLINOIS (June 27, 2025) — Earlier this month, International Women in Engineering Day — which encourages more girls and women to pursue careers in STEM — was observed around the globe. Monmouth College is doing its part, as three women are spending their summer contributing to one of the largest and most ambitious physics experiments in the country — the Mu2e project at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory near Chicago.
Rising seniors Bronte de Zwart, Gianna Maughan, and Lizzy Durfee are living and working on-site at Fermilab, helping to build the intricate electronics behind the Mu2e detector, which will search for rare particle interactions that could redefine our understanding of the universe.
"I have not narrowed down the area of physics I want to pursue in grad school yet," said de Zwart, a double major in math and physics from Adelaide, Australia. "Exploring the day in the life of a particle physicist seemed like a great way to help guide my decision. I'm grateful Professor [Chris] Fasano offered me the opportunity."
Maughan also credited Fasano for introducing her to the "exciting" opportunity, made possible through the Department of Energy's RENEW initiative.
"I am beyond proud of Bronte, Gianna, and Lizzie and a little envious of their summer," said Fasano. "They are definitely the 'A-Team' and are excellent representatives of the college. We have some great opportunities in physics and engineering at Monmouth, doing things on a big stage."
A new world at Fermilab
The trio is staying in a furnished three-bedroom house on Fermilab's sprawling campus, a surprising upgrade from what they expected.
"It has a stocked kitchen and a washer and dryer, and it's just a short walk to where we work," said Maughan. "Everyone we've met here has been so nice and welcoming."
De Zwart echoed that sentiment, adding that Fermilab fosters a strong sense of community.
"It's very welcoming to people at all stages of their careers, as well as international students," she said. "We've been able to work with undergraduates, graduate students, PhD candidates, and post-docs."
Before departing for Fermilab, the students spent a week on campus preparing for their summer research.
"Professor Fasano gave us a crash course in particle physics and explained the goals of the Mu2e experiment," said Maughan. "We practiced soldering and worked with some Python code."
"We learned about the Standard Model [of Particle Physics], particle interactions, and how our work will help visualize decays in the detector," said de Zwart. "We also completed safety training and a research ethics course."
Inside the Mu2e experiment
The Mu2e [Muon-to-Electron Conversion] experiment seeks to observe a rare process where a muon converts into an electron without emitting neutrinos — something not predicted by the current Standard Model.
"If we observe it, it could be evidence for charged lepton flavor violation, which would be huge," said de Zwart, who described the project as a puzzle made up of thousands of specialized pieces.
The students are helping to build the tracker, the part of the detector that will sense and record electron data.
"We're dealing with a lot of electronics and sensors," explained Maughan. "We've installed preamp chips, cleaned and organized components, run diagnostic tests, and observed panels for sparks."
De Zwart said their daily work includes soldering, epoxying, ultrasonic cleaning, and mechanical tasks. "I've been learning a lot of new technical skills. I didn't know what sonicating or epoxying was before this."
One of the biggest surprises was the scale of collaboration, said Maughan. "There are so many people involved, some in person and some remote. Every contribution big or small makes a difference."
"Everyone is an expert in their own part," said de Zwart. "And things never go exactly as planned. We've had to troubleshoot and solve problems constantly."
Via Zoom, the students also joined the international collaboration meeting held in Frascati, Italy.
"We listened to progress updates from teams around the world," said de Zwart. "Our team leader even gave us a shout-out for our work repairing preamp parts. Thousands are still needed to complete the detector."
"They're getting to work on a world-class experiment at a world-class laboratory, and they are doing great," said Fasano.
"I know the team at Fermilab is very pleased have them working to make Mu2e a reality. There will be exciting physics that comes out of this, and they are getting to see all that goes into really making an experiment work."
Women in STEM
The experience has also shaped their views on the future.
"I'm definitely considering particle physics for my PhD," said de Zwart. "The math involved is exciting, and I want to find a path that combines both my majors."
"I still plan to find a job after graduation — not grad school, at least not yet. I'm not sure if particle physics is for me, but I'm glad I tried it. Engineering has so many branches. I want to explore them to find what truly fits me."
As a group of women from a small liberal-arts college contributing to a high-level physics and engineering project, the students recognize the significance of their role.
"It's humbling," said de Zwart. "The tracker team has entrusted us with responsibility, and we've been able to lead tasks independently. Our Monmouth education has prepared us well."
Maughan added, "Being a female in a male-dominated field, this experience is not only about academics, but also about social growth. We're building connections, learning from others, and understanding different cultures and perspectives. That's invaluable."
Fasano is not only proud of the students and his department, but is grateful, as well.
"I must thank our collaborators at Fermilab, Bob Bernstein and Brendan Kiborn, for being such thoughtful and welcoming partners," he said. "And, of course, the Department of Energy RENEW grant has made this possible and provides support for continuing research during the academic year and for three students next summer at Fermilab, as well."
